Mount Holyoke College Commencement 2011

A standing-room-only audience of families, friends, alumnae, and other members of the Mount Holyoke community cheered on nearly 600 graduates as they received their diplomas Sunday, May 22 in the College's 174th annual commencement.

In her remarks to the graduates, Nussbaum spoke about the strengths and continuing importance of a liberal arts education today in the face of an increasingly complex world focused on concrete skills and fast profits.

"In 50 years, the world may remember the sort of education Mount Holyoke provides as a distant memory. If that is the way the future unfolds, the world will be a scary place to live in. What will we have, if these trends continue? Nations of technically trained people who don't know how to criticize authority, useful profit makers with obtuse imaginations,"Nussbaum said. "But the future does not have to unfold this way. It is in our hands, and, especially, in the hands of all of you, who are giving and receiving (a liberal) education--you know its value, and will come to know it more as the years go on."

Zehra Nabi '11 gave the student address to her classmates--who, in a nod to their class color, each carried a bright yellow sunflower.

"While graduating might be exciting, leaving Mount Holyoke is a bittersweet experience. We will all miss the faculty who pushed us to think critically and creatively, and who often treated us more like fellow scholars than students. We will miss the staff who worked behind the scenes tirelessly and made this place a home for us," Nabi said. " We will take different memories with us, but each of us will be forever in debt to Mount Holyoke for these experiences."

The ceremony was seen around the globe via a live webcast, and events of the day were shared with students and alumnae in real time on Twitter. For the first time, the College also offered a mobile-friendly experience for smartphone users. Additional photos and video will be available later this week on this site, as well as on Flick'r and Facebook.